Brassiere structure utilizing pliant cup



'* q m ATTaQA/EX Dec. 7, 1954 T. B. SCHAUMER BRASSIERE STRUCTUREUTILIZING PLIANT CUP Filed Sept. 18, 1951 United States Patent 2,696,005BRASSIERE STRUCTURE UTILIZING PLIANT CUP Theo B. Schaumer, Los Angeles,Calif.

Application September 18, 1951, Serial No. 247,140

8 Claims. (Cl. 242) This invention relates to brassieres, andparticularly to the breast cups of such brassieres.

This application is a continuation in part of an application filed onMay 18, 1951, under Serial Number 228,583, and entitled BrassiereConstruction.

The conventional type of brassiere is well adapted to enhance theappearance of the female figure by appropriate uplift and support of thebreasts. Nevertheless, when the breasts are underdeveloped, suchbrassieres are of little help. Accordingly, various expedients have beenused to cover such breasts with a well rounded, ideally shaped,artificial breast form.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide breast cups thatartificially simulate not only the appearance of natural, well formedbreasts, but also their yielding characteristics.

It is another object of this invention to provide such breast cups(capable of being permanently installed in brassieres or removablyinserted in the fabric breast cups) that are inexpensive to manufacture,and yet that do not absorb moisture, are light in weight, comfortable towear, and capable of repeated laundering without deterioration.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a simple,integral unit capable of use as a breast cup, and in which askeletonized resilient structure is embedded.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has otherobjects'which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration ofseveral embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are showna few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the presentspecification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustratingthe general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood thatthis detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, sincethe scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a brassiere incorporating theinvention, the brassiere being in extended position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane correspondingto line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a cup incorporating the invention, a partof the outer covering being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of the cup.

The brassiere structure is shown as provided with the body-encirclingside members 1 and 2 joined to a central member 3. The central member 3and the side members 1 and 2 are joined, as by stitching, to the cups 4and 5.

The brassiere may be provided with the usual adjustable shoulder straps6 extending from the top of the cups 4 and to the side members 1 and 2.These side members may be provided at their ends with appropriatefastening means, such as the hooks 7, and a short strap 8 which isprovided with a plurality of eyes 9.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a cup structure that may be permanentlyattached to the side member 1 and central member 3, or that may bemerely inserted into the fabric forming the cups. Thus, there is aspiral member 10 having a tip 11 from which the turns proceed outwardlytoward the base turn 12. This member is made from thin, resilient,flexible, plastic material, such as a polyvinyl or polyethylenematerial, which is flexible, but substantially unstretchable for themagnitude of forces encountered in a structure of this character. Thewide surfaces of these turns cooperate to define the contour of the cup.

The member 10 is entirely encased in a rubber or rubber-like enclosure.This can be appropriately accomplished by a molding operation, or byspraying. The rubber body 13 is quite thin, and extends through thespaces between the turns 10. The body or enclosure 13 has a flangeextension 14 for providing an edge to which the members 1 and 3 may besewn.

In use, the breast cup forms a simulated well formed breast, which isflexible in response to pressure and yet which has sufiicient resiliencyto assume the predetermined contour as defined by the member 10. Therubber layer or body 13 assists this action. No further covering isrequired for the cups, since the body 13 may be made of appropriatecolor.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, a pair of spaced bands 15 and 16, ofmaterial similar to that described in connection with the member 10, isprovided. These bands are joined by angularly spaced members 17, 18,etc., to provide a spider-like construction. The center portion 19 iscupped to correspond to the apex of the breast cups. The wide surfacesof the bands 15 and the members 17, 18 correspond to the cup contour.

A rubber enclosure 20 is provided, and which is made in the same way asbody 13. The cup shown in Fig. 4 may be attached to the side members andthe center member, as before.

In this form of the invention, the cup is pliable, as in the first form,and has sufficient resilience to return to the desired contour whenfreed from pressure.

The rubber body 10 or 20 is not affected by moisture and, accordingly,it may be washed or cleaned in a simple manner. The cup members may beused as inserts in brassiere cups.

The inventor claims:

1. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassieres, formed of aplurality of spaced elements of gradually reduced diameter and made fromplastic material that is resilient, flexible, but substantiallyunstretchable, and a rubber-like cup-shaped casing entirely embeddingsaid elements and extending through the space between the elements.

2. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassieres, formed ofplastic material that is resilient, flexible, but substantiallyunstretchable, said material being thin in a direction through the cupand having integrally joined arcuate portions of decreasing diametersending at an apex region; said arcuate portions having substantial widthin a direction corresponding to the cup contour; and a rubber-likecup-shaped casing entirely embedding said portions and extending throughthe space between the portions.

3. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassieres, formed. of aplurality of spaced turns of plastic material that is resilient,flexible, but substantially unstretchable, the material being thin in adirection through the cup, the

- material having an exterior surface corresponding to the cup contour;said surface of each turn being wide in a direction corresponding to thecup contour; and a rubberlike cup-shaped casing entirely embedding saidturns and extending through the space between the turns.

4. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassieres, formed of aspiral of spaced turns, expanding toward the base of the cup, and madefrom thin, fiat material, the wide surface corresponding to the cupcontour; and a rubber-like cup-shaped casing entirely embedding saidelements and extending through the space between the turns.

5. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassieres, formed of aspiral of spaced turns, expanding toward the base of the cup, and madefrom resilient, flexible plastic material, the wide surfacecorresponding to the cup contour; and a rubber-like cup-shaped casingentirely embedding said elements and extending through the space betweenthe turns.

6. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassires, including aseries of annular bands made from thin, fiat material, the wide surfacescorresponding to the cup contour, and angularly spaced members of thinmaterial connecting said bands and having the wide surfaces alsocorresponding to the cup contour; and a rubber-like cupshaped casingentirely embedding said bands and members and extending through thespaces between the bands and members.

7. A breast cup, for use in connection with brassires, including aseries of bands made from thin, fiat resilient, flexible material, and:angularly spaced members ofathin, flat resilient, flexible.-plasticzmaterial joining said bands, the wide :surfaces of the bandsand. members 4 corresponding to-the cup contour; and a rubberdike -eupshaped casing entirely embedding said elements and extending through thespaces between thebands and members.

8. A breast cup, for. use in connection with brassires, including anintegral member of resilient materialhaving spaced'portions definingopenings, themember havinga Widesurface, said memberbbeing thin in adirection transverse to said-surface, saidv member being capable ofretaining a cup shape in which the-wide surface correspondstothe-desired cup'contour; and a cup-shapedencasing member fullyembedding said integral member-and-extending through the openings, saidencasing member being unadefrom aresilient rubber-like-material, saidintegral member having a greater resistance to fiexure than saidencasing member to reinforce said encasing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 43,321 Marshall June 28, 1864 2,294,589 Waterbury Sept. 1,1942 2,425,673 Ferguson Aug. 12, 1947 2,524,621 Cadous Oct. 3, 1950FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 969,259 France May 17, 1950

